St. Luke's clinics in Hailey and Ketchum are receiving steady shipments of H1N1 vaccine after struggling through the last two months not knowing when the next batch would arrive. But now supply is exceeding demand.
"We are only seeing a few people a day for vaccinations," St. Luke's spokeswoman Tonia Bruess said. "Not anywhere near the number we were seeing previously."
In early November, when people were demanding shots, St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center went two weeks without one dose shipped in from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The struggle was shared throughout Idaho and the United States as vaccine shipments lagged by millions behind vaccines ordered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Jan. 14, Idaho had received all 565,100 doses ordered. And for the country as a whole, more than 99 percent of orders have been filled.
However, both concern and flu cases, almost all of which continue to be H1N1 according to the CDC, have tapered off.
The most recent weekly CDC data—for the week ending Jan. 8—shows no states reporting widespread flu activity. And Idaho reported only sporadic flu activity. The last time Idaho was deemed widespread was the week ending Nov. 13, when 31 other states were also widespread.
CDC data of weekly visits for flu-like illnesses points to a peak in the beginning of October. At that time, Region 10—comprised of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington—reported 1,700 patients coming in for flu symptoms, or 9.6 percent of the 17,900 total. For the first week of 2010, that percentage was down to 1.3 percent. And far fewer patients came in—115 for flu symptoms out of 9,032.
The national trend is similar, with a peak of 7.5 percent of patients coming in for flu symptoms at the beginning of October falling to 2 percent at the beginning of January.
Regardless, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is still advising people to get vaccinated.
"Flu season often peaks in February, making now a good time to seek out the H1N1 vaccine," spokeswoman Emily Simnitt stated in a news release.
She said only 22 percent of adults in America targeted to receive the H1N1 vaccine have received it. She said the at-risk group includes those with asthma and chronic lung diseases.
Cheryle Becker, public health division administrator for the South Central Public Health District, which serves Blaine County, said the number of Idahoans getting vaccinated has been "unprecedented."
"(But) most Idahoans still have not received the H1N1 flu vaccine," she said.
The health district's closest location—117 E. Ash St. in Bellevue—has made vaccines available through free clinics. Call 788-4335 to schedule an appointment.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
